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Ever since I wrote the post on Qualities of a Professional Freelance Writer, I have received quite a few e-mails asking me to write one on qualities of a good writer. That is, a writer in general, not of any specific genre. So, here it is.

True, anyone can write, but that doesn’t make him/her a writer, leave alone a good writer. In order to be called a good writer, certain qualities are required. To me, the qualities most essential in good writer are:

1. Love of writing. This is the most important factor. Unless there is the love and passion for writing, one can never produce a good piece. The more intense the passion, the better the writing is.

2. Love of words. This is not the same as the love of writing. Love of words means having a good vocabulary and understanding not only their meanings, but also the correct usage of words and their connotations. It is this love of words that makes a writer select the right words, and it is this choice of words that make the impact on the readers.

3. Good grammar and punctuation skills. This is an obvious one. We all know how bad grammar can leave a bad impression and how incorrect punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence.

4. Imagination. This is another important quality. What and how can a writer write if there is no imagination? Even a non-fiction writer needs imagination to make his/her writing lucid.

5. Observation. Good writers have a knack of observing people and things, and then mentally storing these observations to reproduce later in their writings.

6. Self-motivation. We all go through periods of difficulties and mental blocks. A good writer never waits for someone else to come inspire him/her. He/she is able to motivate himself/herself, is always confident and is able to come up with ideas.

7. Professionalism. A good writer always has a professional approach to writing. This means that that a writer should always take his/her work seriously and must be able to learn every aspect of writing. He/she must be able to understand the market and offer readers material that they wish to read.

If a person has these seven essential qualities, then that person can be called a good writer. Or am I missing out on something? Is there anything else that should have been included?